Humane Society helps battered pets

The Watonwan County Humane Society is looking for volunteers now to help take care of the pets in the shelter. If you are interested in volunteering, visit the Watonwan County Humane Society website at watonwan.weebly.com

The Watonwan County Humane Society is working to ensure that dogs and cats can find forever homes with loving families in and around St. James.

With pets reproducing at a rate higher than the rate in which they are being adopted, it is more important than ever to get your pet spayed or neutered.

“Our major emphasis over the last year has been spaying and neutering pets, which is a major emphasis of all humane societies,” said Cheryl Bjoin, president of the Watonwan County Humane Society. “As more and more people have been spaying and neutering their pet, over the last 20 years the rate of euthanasia in humane societies is a lot less than it used to be.”

In February, the humane society sponsored a spay/neuter program in cooperation with the St. James and Madelia veteran clinics. This program was done in collaboration with the Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MNSNAP) which brings a mobile van, completely equipped with the tools needed to spay and neuter animals to the area monthly.

MNSNAP gets grant money to run their operations and are able to perform low-cost surgeries for pets whose owners make less than $40,000 a year.

“Everybody needs care, and that’s every day,” said Bjoin, referring to the cats and dogs at the humane society. “Every day, seven days a week, every single day through the year – it takes a lot of people to be taking care of those animals, and we always need volunteers.”

The Watonwan County Humane Society is looking for volunteers now to help take care of the pets in the shelter. If you are interested in volunteering, visit the Watonwan County Humane Society website at watonwan.weebly.com

The website has recently been updated with new information regarding the humane society, including contact information, programs, hours and more.

The Watonwan County Humane Society is offering free farm cats to those loving families who qualify. Farm homes adopting cats must agree to the following:

• Provide adequate food and water year round

• Provide appropriate shelter year round

• Enclose the cats for 5 to 7 days so they can adjust to their new home

Pets are updated and featured frequently on the website, and every Friday, the Watonwan County Humane Society offers free cats for loving indoor homes. The humane society has recently seen an influx of abandoned cats, and is looking for homes for these loving pets.

The Watonwan County Humane Society is open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Remember to check locally before travelling to find the next member of your family. The humane society in St. James has many pets who are looking for a new home.